Device for operating valves or cocks.



110,826,195; 1 PATENTED JULY 17, 1906.

' v. SGHWANINGER.

DEVICE FOR OPERATING VALVES OR COCKS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.5, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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THE N'DRRIS PETERS co., wasumo'rou, o, c.

N0- 826,195L PATEN'TBD JULY 17,-1906.

' V. SCHWANINGER.

DEVICE FOR OPERATING VALVES 0R COOKS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.6, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

r 2 MM THE-NORRIS PETERS cm, WASHINGTON, n c

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFroE.

VITUS SGHWANINGER, or OGGERSHEIM, GERMANY. DEVICE FOR OPERATING VALVES OR COCKS.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

latented July 17, 1906.

Application filed April 5, 1905. Serial No. 254,034.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Virus SOHWANINGER, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at Oggersheim, near Ludwigshafen, in the Palatinate, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Operating Valves or Cocks, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a device for alternately opening and closing the valves or cocks of a vessel being filled with liquid by means of a float surrounded by a shell and extending into the liquid.

The chief feature of the present apparatus compared with the known devices of the kind consists in providing the shell surrounding the float with an exhaust-port or the like which, opening into the lower part of the vessel, permits the entrance of liquid into the shell at an increased rate during the inlet pe riod and during the outflow period the escape of the liquid from said shell. By this means the advantage is obtained that exactly at the moment at which the float is to be raised or lowered the speed at which the level of the liquid in the shell rises or falls, respectively, is at its maximum, so that a sudden and accurate opening or closing of the valves or cocks is obtained. Such devices are adapted with great advantage for various purposes for instance, in apparatus for conducting condensation-water back to a boiler with condensertraps, steam or pneumatic elevators for raising acids, or for gas-compressors or the like.

The device referred to is illustrated in the annexed drawings.

Figures 1 and 2 are a vertical section and cross-section, respectively, of a form of the apparatus used, for instance, for conducting the condensation-water back to a boiler by the pressure of the boilersteam. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a form of apparatus adapted for use as a steam or pneumatic elevator with the use of a double float consisting of two superposed floats.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 is the collect ing-chamber of the condensation-water entering at 2. The said chamber is in communication at its lower part with the waterspace of the boiler by means of the pipe 3 and at its upper part with the steam-space of the boiler by means of the pipe 4. The steampipe 4 passes into the valve-box 6 of the collecting-chamber and terminates in a valveseat 7, the passage through which is adapted tures 1 6.

to be closed by the valve 8, which in the form of construction'under consideration is rigidly connected to a second valve 9, controlling the steam-exhaust port 10. Both the aforesaid valves are connected by the frame 11 to the float-rod 12, on which is arranged the float 13. The latter is surrounded by a shell 14, which terminates at its lower part in a tube or nozzle 15, which communicates, by means of apertures 16, with the lower part of the collecting-chamber. The upper part of the tube 15 is shut ofl from the lower part, except for the valve-opening 17. The latter can be more or less closed by the valve 18 of the stopcock 19.

The action of the apparatus described is as follows: The condensation-water enters the collecting-chamber 1 through 2 and passes into the nozzle or tube 15 through the aper- The water will, however, rise more rapidly in the chamber 1 than in the tube 15, since the water entering through the apertures 16 is retarded by the narrow valveopening 17. The result is that the waterlevel in the chamber 1 is higher during the inlet period than the water-level in the pipe 15 and thatthis difference of level continually increases during the inlet period, this again having the effect that the speed at which the water-level rises in the pipe 15 will also continually increase, since the water entering said pipe 15 is subjected to an increasing head of pressure in the chamber 1. When the water-level in the chamber 1 has reached the upper edge of the shell 14, it commences to pass from above into the shell, whereby the raising of the water-level in said shellis further increased until the float 18 is surrounded by water to such an extent that it floats, so that the valve 8 and the steam-inlet are opened and the steam-exhaust port is closed by the valve 9. Owing to the fact that the speed at which the water rises in the pipe and shell 14 continually increases and is at its maximum at the moment the float is lifted, a rapid and accurate opening and closing of the steam-inlet and steam-exhaust port, respectively, is effected. Owing to the communication of the interior of the collecting-chamber with the steam-space of the boiler, the condensation-water collected in the chamber is caused to flow through pipe 3 back into the boiler. At first only a small quantity of water will flow from the shell 14 and pipe 15 into the chamber 1, since at the beginning the difference of level in the shell ICC 14 and chamber 1 is so slight that the resistance which the water encounters when passing through the narrow valve-opening 17 can scarcely be overcome. According as the water-level continues to fall in the chamber 1 the distance of levels in the shell 14 and chamber 1 increases, so that the rate at which the water flows from the shell 14 continually increases. This increase is at its maximum when the water-level in chamber 1 has reached its lowest point and when the water has completely passed out of said chamberthat is to say, immediately before the downward movement of the float, which movement oc curs when the liquid in the shell 13 has sufliciently released the float. By this means a rapid and accurate closing of the steam-inlet and opening of the steam-exhaust port is ohtained.

It will be apparent that by rotating the spindle 19, and consequently raising or lowering the valve 18, the flow of water from the shell 14 can be regulated according to cir-' cumstances. It is alsoevident that the arrangement described can in the same or similar manner be used for steam or pneumatic elevators such as used in large numbers in chemical works for raising acids and like liquids.

In the form of construction shown in Fig. 3 a double float of known kind consisting of two superposed floats is used for the alter nate opening and closing of the pressure-medium-inlet and air-exhaust port. As shown in Fi 3, the lower float is surrounded by a shell 1n the manner already described, which shell also ends in a tube or nozzle in the lower part of the liquid-chamber. In the arrangement shown, is the pressure-chamber, which is in communication with the rising tube 24 by means of a tube 21 and by an antireturn-valve 22 with the feed-tube 23. 25 26 are the two floats connected to form a double float by a rod 27 or in any similar known manner. The pressure-chamber 20 is provided with a valve-box 28, which communicates, through the valve 30, with the air-exhaust port 31 and through the valve 29 with the nozzle 32 for inlet of pressure medium. The air-exhaust valve is controlled by the collars 33 34 on the float-rod 27 in the known manner. The float member 26 is surrounded by the shell 35, which terminates in the pipe 36, the orifice 37 of which is adapted tov be regulated by the valve 38 and spindle 39.

The action of this form of apparatus is as follows: The liquid to be raised passes through the pipe 23, return-valve 22, and pipe 21 into the pressure-chamber 20 and through the apertures 41 into the tube or nozzle 36. On the liquid in chamber 20 reaching the upper edge of the shell it flows over into the shell and tube 36 and fills these parts. The liquid continues to rise and reaches the upper float member 25. When the latter is partly surrounded by li uid, the pressure exerted by the pressure me ium on the valve body is overcome by the combined buoyancy of both float members, so that the pressure-mediuminlet valve is opened and the air-exhaust valve 30 closed. The pressure medium now acts upon the liquid in the pressure-chamber and forces it through the pipe 21 and rising pipe 24 into the tank 40. Similarly to the hitherto-known double floats the pressuremedium-inlet valve remains open as long as the lower float member has not been released by the falling liquid-level; but the valve 38 can now be regulated so that the level of liquid, in the shell 35 falls more rapidly than that of the liquid surrounding said shell 35, already below the edge of the shell. This has the effect that the lower float member 26 is immediately and completely released and its reimmersion in the liquid is prevented. Another advantage of the improved device is also found in the fact that the expansion of the pressure medium can be suitably regulated without necessitating the displacement of the lower float member on its rod. According to the extent to which the valve 38 is opened and the outlet of liquid from the shell 35 through the orifice 37 facilitated the full pressure period is limited and the expansion of the pressure medium utilized. If it is desired to work as far as possible without expansion of the pressure medium, it is only necessary to make the orifice 37 larger, so that the water in the shell 35 releases the lower float member immediatelybefore the liquid-level falling in the chamber has reached the mouth of the rising pipe 21.

It will be evident from the above description that if it is desired to use only one float for controlling the pressure-medium-inlet and air-exhaust valves the shell 35, with the corresponding float member, must be arranged at a higher level, as in Fig. 1. It will also be seen that the single float 13, Fig. 1, or-the double float 25 26, Fig. 3, can also be arranged so as to act indirectly on the valves to be controlledfor instance, by means of levers or other mechanism-without departing from the spirit of this invention.

Having now fully described my invention,- I declare that what I claim is 1. In device for operating valves and cocks the combination of a vessel adapted to be filled with liquid, a float, a shell surrounding said float provided with an outlet-tube extending into the lower part of the vessel and means of permitting inlet of liquid to said shell at an increased rate during the feed of liquid to said vessel and the outlet of liquid from said shell during the discharge of liquid from said vessel, respectively, substantially as set forth.

2. In device for operating valves and cooks filled with liquid, afloat consisting of two superposed parts, a shell surrounding the lower part of said float provided with an outlettube extending into the lower part of the vessel and means of permitting inlet ofliquid to said shell at an increased rate during the feed of liquid to said vessel and the outlet of liquid from said shell during the discharge of liquid from said vessel, respectively, substantially as set forth. y

3. In device for operating valves and cocks the combination of a vessel adapted to be filled with liquid, a float, a shell surrounding said float provided with an outlet-tube extending into the lower part of said vessel in communication therewith, a partition integral with said outlet-tube dividing same into a lower and upper part, respectively, an opening in said partition and means of controlling said opening, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a vessel, a float in said vessel, pressure-medium-inlet port, an

" exhaust port, a valve controlling said pressure-medium-inlet port, a second valve controlling said exhaust-port, means of supplying liquid to said vessel, a shell surrounding said float provided with an outlet-tube extending into the lower part of said vessel, means of permitting inlet of liquid to said shell at an increased rate during the supply of liquid to said vessel and the outlet of liquid from said shell during the dischargeof liquid from said vessel, said float adapted to open the pressure-medium-inlet port and shut the exhaust port on rising, respectively, and

adapted to open the exhaust-port and to shut the pressure-medium-inlet port on descending, respectively, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of a vessel, a verticallyguided float in said vessel consisting of two superposed parts, an exhaust-port, a valve controlling said pressure-medium-inlet port, a second valve controlling said exhaust-port, means of supplying liquid to said vessel, a shell surrounding the lower part of said float provided with an outlet-tube extending into the lower part of said vessel, means of permitting inlet of liquid tov said shell at an increased rate during the supply of liquid to said vessel and the outlet of liquid from said shell during the discharge of liquid from said vessel, said float adapted to open the pressure-medium-inlet port and shut the exhaustporton rising, respectively, and adapted to open the exhaust-port and to shut the pressure-medium-inlet port on descending, respectively, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VITUS SOHWANINGER. Witnesses H. V. HARRIS, Jos. H. LEUTE. 

